Testimony: HB 530 – Great Maryland Trails Act

WABA supports HB 530, the Great Maryland Trails Act, to create a state office of trails which will help ensure Maryland can fully leverage our progress, resources, and opportunity.

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HB 530: Great Maryland Trails Act

House Environment and Transportation Committee
Washington Area Bicyclist Association – FAVORABLE

February 29, 2024

Chair Korman and Committee Members,

Maryland has the potential to be a top-tier state in the nation with multi-use trails that support activities that contribute to our economy, environment, and quality of life. HB 530, the Great Maryland Trails Act, will help ensure Maryland can fully leverage our progress, resources, and opportunity.

A Maryland State Office of Trails will help achieve the State’s vision, secure funding, ensure coordination, and maximize the beneficial impacts of trails to our economy, public health, transportation equity, and quality of life. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), an advocacy organization with 1,200 Maryland members, supports the bill.

Maryland needs coordination, strategic oversight, and increased investments in trails. Although Maryland has many exceptional and diverse trails, communities and advocates have identified a large backlog of maintenance projects and new trail projects that need attention. Current levels of local, state, federal, and private funding are insufficient to make Maryland a nationally recognized destination for trails. A trails office will facilitate increased funding, including through federal grants such as federal active transportation opportunities. Other states, including neighboring Virginia, plus Florida, Massachusetts, and Connecticut have established state trails.

The new trails and connected networks supported through the Great Maryland Trails Act will advance active transportation and recreation, leverage economic impacts, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and meet increasing demand from residents.

Investing in Maryland’s multi-use trail networks and bicycling infrastructure makes economic sense. Maryland's outdoor recreation already generates $14 billion in consumer spending and supports 109,000 jobs, more trails and support and expand these outcomes. Even when governments must make funding cuts, support for bicycling is not just another expenditure; it is a wise investment. According to a study from the University of Massachusetts, an average 11.4 jobs per million dollars spent are created with bicycle projects, compared to 7.8 jobs for road-only projects. More trail projects, increased access for trail users, and more options for outdoor recreation and active transportation will increase participation and returns for our state.

Amendment: We recognize that this is a challenging fiscal year and recommend amending the bill so that it aligns with the resource capacity of participating agencies, especially in MDOT, DNR and MDP. We do not envision any transfer of positions but prefer collaboration among the agencies named in the bill.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association urges a Favorable HB 530 committee report and House floor vote with amendments.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify on this legislation.

Peter Gray, WABA Montgomery County Organizer

peter@waba.org

More about Maryland Legislation

WABA develops and advocates for state legislation to make bicycling in Maryland safer and more accessible and for state funding to expand Maryland’s bicycle network, working directly with legislators and Maryland Dept. of Transportation (MDOT) leadership and as part of the Bike Maryland coalition. We also work on broader road-safety, transit, and environmental legislation and funding, typically as part of larger statewide coalitions. The annual Maryland legislative session runs from January to April, but our work developing legislation starts the preceding summer.

We’re thrilled that several bills we worked on or supported were enacted in 2024, directing an MDOT Vision Zero Coordinator and public review process; the Better Bus Service Act, allowing bus-lane enforcement cameras (with bikes allowed); authorizing stop-sign cameras near schools in Prince George's County; and the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Memorial Act, addressing penalties for hitting a cyclist in a bike lane.

Our 2024 advocacy included unsuccessful efforts that we will likely pursue in future years. (It often takes years to pass a bill. ) These include a Great Maryland Trails Act, an E-bike Rebate and Voucher Program bill, and a bill addressing maintenance responsibility for sidewalks and bike paths along state roads. Another topic on our list for 2025 is contributory negligence, a prejudicial statute that says that if a crash victim is even only 1% at fault, then they are liable and may not recover (full) costs and damages from the party largely at fault.

More about Laws & Policy

WABA works with grassroots advocates at the local, county and state level to support laws and policies that make it easier and safer to walk, bike, and take transit. And we work to changes ones that make biking less safe, make it harder to build bike infrastructure, or that deprioritize the safety and convenience of people walking, biking, or taking transit.

In practice that means advocating for robust and transformative Vision Zero programs, enforceable Complete Streets policies, and funding for new infrastructure that supports biking, walking and transit.

Other regional legislative priorities include:

Reforming Contributory Negligence (passed in DC, in the works in Maryland and Virginia).
Getting rid of the Level of Service engineering standards in transportation decision-making.
Funding E-bike purchase rebates.

More about Advocacy

WABA fights for a region where biking, walking and transit are the best ways to get around.

We educate policymakers and organize grassroots advocates for to speak up for safer places to bike and walk; and for laws and policies that protect people who are walking and biking, reduce dangerous driving, and facilitate changes to the built environment.